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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. E; BARTHOLOMEW. SPRING GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

No. 446,656. Patented Feb. 1.7, 1891.

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(No ModelL) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

e. E. BARTHOLOMEW. SPRING GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

No. 446,656. Patented Feb. 17, 18 91.

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NITED STnTns FaTnn'T @rrrcm GEORGE E. BARTIIOLOMEV, OF CINCINNATI, OIIIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDXVARD R. EIHVARDS, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,656, dated February 17, 1891.

Application filed December 9, 1890. Serial No. 374,015. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. BARTHOLO- MEW, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamiiton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Gear for Vehicles, of which the following is a specilication.

The object of my invention is to provide a to light cheap spring-gear for vehicles.

It consists in the peculiar combination and arrangement of the parts, all of which will be first fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will then be particularly referred to and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar referenceletters wherever they occur throughout the various views, Figure 1 is an inverted plan view of the front part of a spring-wagon provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken through line .23 a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the front part of a wagon with my invention applied in a modified form. Figs. at and 5 are longitudinal central vertical sections of my preferred form of gear (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) with a modified form of brace. Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the front part of a wagon with my improvement applied to a half platform-gear. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal central vertical section of the same. Fig. Sis a vertical transverse section of the same. In the forms of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the body and fifth-wheel device are coupled to the front axle by quarter-elliptic springs, while in the forms shown in Figs. 6, 7, and S platform-springs are employed for the same purpose.

Referring first to the preferred form of my invention, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) A represents the bodybottom; a,a cross-bar secured underneath it; B B, a pair of quarter-elliptic springs, and O the front axle.

D is a spring bar or plate, made either of hard wood or metal, or of wood faced with metal. This bar is pivoted underneath the crossbar a on the king-bolt E. The heavy ends of the springs B are bolted rigidly to this pivoted spring-bar and the light ends are clipped to the front axle.

To hold the pivoted springbar D firmly against the body cross-bar a, as well as to relieve the king-bolt from strain, I provide a strap-metal yoke F, the ends of which are bolted firmly to the body-bottom, from which points it arches across the spring-bar iD and is perforated to pass the screwthreaded end of theking-bolt. I also provide a metal sleeve G, which has an annular flange g below its upper end, upon which the spring-bar rests. The yoke F bears against thelower end of this sleeve, and the king-bolt passes through the bar a, sleeve G, and yoke F, and has a nut on its screw-threaded lower end to hold the parts together. I have shown the rear part of the bar or yoke F bifurcated, and prefer to use it this way for greater strength; but it may be made straight, as indicated by dotted line.

Instead of the curved metal-strap yoke F, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) the rigid brace F (shown in Fig. 1) may be employed. This consists of a wooden central bar strengthened by two metal straps f, one above and onebelow. The king-bolt passes centrally through this brace, and the ends of the brace are secured to the wagon-body by bolts f and intervening stay blocks or collars f In .the modification shown in Fig. 5 a portion of the brace F is cut away in front of the king-bolt and a metal brace underlaps its forward end and is perforated to pass the kingbolt. From the king-bolt the metal brace curves upward to the spring-bar, to which its forward end is rigidly secured.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the king-bolt is relieved from strain by a springsteel strap-bar F and brace-bars f of the same material. The bar F has its rear end 0 turned to form an eye to receive a stud-bolt f, which is secured in and projects down from the rear part of the body-bottom. The bracebarsf" have their front ends bolted firmly to the front of bar F from which point they diverge to near the rear edge of the springbar D, to which they are firmly secured by the clips f ,which are preferably seated in notches formed in the edge of the braces.

In Figs. 6 to S, inclusive, I illustrate my improvements applied to a platform-gear.

The swivel-bar l) in this case crosses the bar a, transversely instead of being parallel with it. The yoke F is substantially the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and occupies the same position with relation to the swivel-bar. I also employ the same flanged sleeve G and have metal rub-plates to reduce friction between the swivel-bar D and bar a.

B are the customary platform -springs clipped upon the front axle, and II a semielliptic spring, of ordinary construction, shackled to the forward ends of the springs B in the usual manner. The rear ends of the springs B are connected to a cross-bar I by spring-shackles. The forward end of the swivel-barD is bolted or clipped on top of the semi-elliptic spring H, and its rear end is similarly secured centrally to the crossbar I. This arrangement of coupling the front axle to the spring-bar D by means of the front springs allows the Wagon to make a very short or quick turn, and the brace bar or .voke, assisted by the king-bolt, keeps the swivel-bar against the cross-bar a, prevents rattling when passing over a rough road, and relieves the kin gbolt from strain.

In all of the forms shown I prefer for economy to couple the rear axle to the body by the quarter-elliptic springs diverging like the front springs 13 from their point of attachment to the body to the axle; but other Well-known forms of springs may be substituted for them Without changing the devices shown for coupling the front axle to the body.

Vhat I claim is 1. In a spring-gear for coupling the front axle to the body,the combination of the spri ngbar D, pivoted underneath the body back of its front' end, a brace to hold the spring-bar to the body and relieve the king-bolt from strain, and springs secured to the spring-bar and front axle, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a spring-gear for coupling the front axle to the body, the combination of the springbar D, pivoted underneath the body back of its front end, a brace to hold the spring-bar to the body and relieve the king-bolt from strain, and the quarter-elliptic springs B, hav ing their heavy ends rigidly secured to the springbar and their light ends clipped to the front axle, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the body A, having crossbar a, the spring-bar D, pivoted under said bar a, the brace passing transversely across the spring-bar and having its ends secured to the wagon-bottom, the king-bolt E, passing through the bars and brace, and the springs secured to the spring-bar and front axle, subs antially as shown and described.

s. The combination of the body having cross-bar a, the axles, the spring-bar D, the flanged sleeve, the king-bolt E, the bar D, pivoted to the bar a, the brace secured to the body and crossing the spring-bar to hold it against the bar a and relieve the king-bolt, and the springs coupling the spring-bar and front axle, substantially as shown and described.

G. E. BARTHOLOHEW. Vitnesses: EDWARD WENNINGS, GEO. J. MURRAY. 

